Josephus The Complete Works

People spend a great deal of time interpreting scripture, and for good reason. For believers, the Bible is not just a historical document, but the living word of God. Still, as we research scripture, we want to know what life was like in the days of Jesus, and how the people of Jesus' day lived and interpreted scripture so we can better understand scripture in our own day. Perhaps the most important tool for such a task would be the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus.

Josephus himself was an interesting figure. He was born to a well to do Jewish family of the priestly class. He was a religious seeker and studied under the Pharisees and spent some time living an ascetic life. He later developed connections with Rome, and tried unsuccessfully to end the Jewish rebellion. His association with the Romans made him a bit of a turncoat to many people, but his involvement in many spheres of life in the years of the Jewish revolt gave him the opportunity to write a thorough history of his times, understanding the religious, political, and social dimensions of the day. It is largely through the writings of Josephus we understand the world of Jesus' day, and ultimately Jesus himself, even though there is only one questionable reference to Jesus in the writings (modern scholars belive this was probably a patristic insertion or at least a reworking by patristic writers).

This edition of the writings of Josephus is an excellent tool for non-scholarly Biblical study. Whiston's translation has been a standard for years and provides a good translation for preparation for preaching, Bible studies, and people who have an interest in scripture that would be deeper than the interest of a casual reader. I know I have used this volume with Bible study groups over the years, and from time to time research topics in the book for homilies. While there are updates in this edition, this is probably not the best resource for people engaged in scholarly studies, except as a source for background information or a basic familiarity with the historian and his writings. There are newer translations that would be preferred by most instructors on the college level, but for everyday use this volume is a great find at a reasonable price.